RHINELANDER - Performing arts lovers in Rhinelander will soon need to walk across the street to see performances.

But that change will reward theatergoers with a bigger and better experience.

The Hext Theatre recently moved out of the Brown Street Mall to a much larger location across the street.

It's a month away from opening.

"We were limited to 50 seats. We really liked it down there. It was a good place but after two years we were doing well with it and we realized it was time to expand the business and make it a little bigger," says Hext Theatre co-owner Jim Hext.

Hext and his wife, Lori, opened the original theatre in 2011.

Their son Zach is a magician.

He was the main inspiration for opening the theatre because there was nowhere for him to perform.

The theatre has since given local performers a place to showcase their talent.

"We want to offer things that people don't really find in Rhinelander. Comedy shows, you know, improv, magic shows, music. And for the music we want to offer stuff that, you know, like again like I said, that you don't find. We had a fiddler that was over there, Tess Stevens, who was really good, bluegrass bands," Hext adds.

The new theatre will have 150 seats.

Comedians from out of state will perform each month.

They also hope to have plays now that the theatre is three times bigger than before.

The commission is waiting on an expected payment of $300,000 from the federal government. In 2016, that money came in early September. As of last Friday, the commission wasn't expecting the payment until as late as November.

RHINELANDER - A large open lot on Rhinelander's east side could soon fill in with a chain restaurant.

Cory Moritz-Hoffmann and her husband hope to build a Pizza Ranch next to Kwik Trip on Eisenhower Parkway. The pair of former Pine Lake firefighters got the idea about six years ago when they first went to a Pizza Ranch in Iowa.

They considered pursing a franchise then, but it was more than they could afford at the time. About two years ago, the Hoffmanns contacted an investor and saw an opportunity to turn their dream into a reality.

Shortly before 6:00 a.m., Rhinelander, Crescent and Newbold Fire Departments responded to a fire at Red Arrow Products on Rhinelander's west side.

An employee says there were about eight workers inside at the time.

No one was injured.

"Flames were coming out of a conveyor area as high as the roof. We made an interior attack and knocked that flame down. Came in from the other side of the partition wall, then made another interior attack and knocked that down," says Chief Terry Williams.

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